Finally the dresses of the night and the winners of the Oscars 2010 were revealed. Most of time when watching these type of events I am reminded of the fairy tale ”the emperor has no clothes “. Nobody is telling the truth- everyone is dodging the bullet and looking left, right and over their shoulders – or they simply put the vote out to their readers in order to avoid telling us what they really think . Nobody wants to voice their opinion either because they might get it wrong, or their judgment wouldn’t be popular or they would be outed for not having a clue why dresses do or don’t work- of course until someone says it out loud- then everyone jumps ship. Plus their comments are always ” I like, I love, I hate, looks like…, she shouldn’t…” This is not very useful for a review. In a review you want to know why the dress colour, shape and style works for the actress . So, let’s get started:
1. Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent
Colour: A wonderful colour combination for a soft in her dominant colour. The metallic look is kept muted by wearing it away from her face and by going for a silver gold combination.
Body shape: A bustier/ corsage is ideal for a fullhourglass body shape, because it shows off her curves in her bust, hips and gives way to her waist. The peplum highlights her hips and balances perfectly with her shoulders. The skirt drapes beautifully around her bottom- without being too tight.
Overall look: 5***** The colour combination of silver and gold is spot on. It gives it a modern but still a feminine look. Her look in this outfit looks effortless chic, elegant and timeless.
2. Kathryn Bigelow in Yves Saint Laurent
Colour: This silver colour is far too light for her colouring. She is a deep and needs to choose deeper colours near her face.
Body shape: This dress is not a good fit on her. Firstly because someone who is as tall as her should never be wearing an Empire oufit. It makes her look even taller and her legline endless. Secondly the lower part of her dress doesn’t particular address and balance her broader shoulders. Thirdly it doesn’t fit around the tummy aera. The popping out seams do not flatter her. Last not least wearing a solid colour from top to toe is never ideal for a tall woman since it gives it additional height- what she doesn’t need. She needs a dress that shortens her height visually by colour, style or both.
Overall look: 2** She is the woman of the moment- and quite right so for her achievement. Unfortunately her dress lets her down since it didn’t complement her colour, shape and height.
3. Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta
Colour: The golden embellishment softens the white and makes it to a wonderful choice for her colouring.
Body shape: The waisted dress gives her lean coloumn body shape the illusion of a waist, the embellishments add volume to her top body and the fuller skirt gives her curves.
Overall look: 4**** The best look I have seen on her for long time. I just find that her look and style is not only playing safe but reminds me too much of Michelle Pfeiffer- it lacks originality.
4. Vera Farmigain in Marchesa
Colour: Superb colour for a clear This shiny plum dress creates a wonderful contrast to her coluring and brings her stunning bright blue eyes even more out to play.
Body shape: This dress can only be worn by a few fortunate women who are a neat hourglass in their body shape, long in her waist and who are tall. She is all this! The details on top fit beautifully around her bust and the ruche has enough room in her waist to shine and to show it off. Its fullness flatters nicely her leg line without cluttering it. The only clutter that occurs is in the hemline because it is too long in front.
Overall look: 4**** Her hairstyle, make up and dress choice is super fashion forward and shouts personality. The only mistake in her outfit is the hemline in front- it layers too much in front of her. A dress needs to look comfortable , be easy to walk in and move easily- which this doesn’t.
5. Demi Moore in Versace
Colour: It is not a great colour for a deep. It is far too light for her even thought she is wearing her hair pulled back.
Body shape: Just look at her. She is a champion choosing this dress for the event. This strapless dress is ideal for someone who has boader shoulders, because the drama is kept on the lower haf, so it diverts the attention from the top to the lower half instead and creates visual balance at the same time. Her long waist is being underlined perfectly, so that the dress creates perfect proportions for her.
Overall look: 4****: Her hairstyle and looks are wonderful and very in the moment. Who knows what makes her look so youthful. Just the colour of her dress isn’t quite right for her.
6. Mariah Carey in Valentino
Colour: Good colour for her personal colouring and body shape.
Body shape: No. She is an inverted triangle in her body shape with a big bust. Therefore the dropped sleeveline makes her shoulder look even broader and as well as her bust. Unfortunately there is nothing on her lower half to balance that out. She looks very top heavy and unproportional. The broche is a nice touch but not a strong enough feature to create visual balance with her top.
Overall look: 1* Simply she looks always the same- always the same hair and earrings. Her shoes don’t go with the dress or with her accessories. As much as important a signature looks is you need to be versatile and adapt to different times and trends.
7. Elizabeth Banks in Versace
Colour: This ash grey/blue works beautifully with her skin and ash blonde hair.
Body shape: It fits like a glove on her neat hourglass body shape. Her long waist is shown off by the pattern in the waist and sets perfect proportion for the upper and lower part of the gown. The layers in the skirt and train flatter her leg line without adding clutter to it.
Overall look: 4****A bit Gwyneth Paltrow like just not in pink. Her look is beautiful but the style is too mainstream a la Hollywood.
8.Charlize Theron in Christian Dior Couture
Colour: Fantastic choice for her colouring. This purple violet combination really plays up to her hair, skin and eye colour.
Body shape: She is tall and a neat hourglass and this mermaid dress with its contrasting train is idealfor that. It wouldn’t clutter on a shorter woman, withsomeone with a fuller bust or shorter waist.
Overall look: 3*** The style is not as wrong as much more an error in judgement. This style of dress you don’t wear to the Oscars, but more to the Cannes Festivals. It’s a a bit too “ovious” and in your “face” and therefore it feels inappropriate for this event.
9. Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive
Colour: Not picture perfect. It is a bit too white for her colouring.
Body shape: Pears are smaller on top and bigger on the bottom. Though you need to emphasise your upper body to balance the bottom – this dress still kind of works for her. It blows up at her fullest part without sitting on her bottom or thighs. Therefore her fullest part is ” hidden” away by the cut and style of her fuller skirt. It brings out her beautiful waist, but the dramatic cut in her skirt length does cut her leg line too much. She is too short for such a style.
Overall look: 3***Her youthful hairstyle- ” Jenny from the blog” contrasts nicely to the very formal dress in cut and shape and makes her look current. She should have chosen different shoes, bags and jewellery. It looks to much of a wedding gown and outfit.
10. Carey Mulligan in Prada
Colour: She makes black work for her by keeping it away from her face and having a short hairstyle.
Body shape: The upper part of the the dress works like a dream on her slender body. The cropped full skirt makes her leg line look too short including the choice of her ankle strap shoes. It would have helped to lengthen her leg line visually by having chosen pumps instead of ankle strap style shoes and keeping the edge in the heel.
Overall look: 3 ***I love the edge and twist in the dress and her style. Unfortunately it goes wrong in her leg line and also she wore the same style of dress to the Baftas.
11. Diane Kruger in Chanel
Colour: This ivory white black dress works great for a soft.
Bodyshape: Her perfect neat hourglass body shape works perfectly on this very complicated dress in style and shape. You need to have a long neck, waist, long legs and be slender at the right places in order to deal with all the details and frill of the dress.
Overall Look: 5***** I love the dress, the shape, style and her whole look. It is different, it has leading style rather being a follower and it is right on target with the fashion trend “white”. Though this dress divides opinions and one journalist defined it as toilet paper roll, it still doesn’t take the fact away that it works for her.
12. Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel
Colour: What superb combination for her colouring. The grey blue embellishment creates contrast with the yellow shiny dress. Exactly what a clear needs.
Body shape: This long shift dress works nicely on her beautiful petite frame and since she is keeping the colour contrast to the top of her dress it lengthens her visually. The decoltee detail adds attention to her bust without overpowering it.
Overall look: 5***** And the winner is …! That’s how it is done. This dress is classy but given a modern, innovative touch with her hairstyle and bracelets. Even her shoes are kept in style with her dress. Its style reminds one of the Halston brand .
13. Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka
Colour: Wonderful choice of colour for a cool. It brings out her hair colour, skin and eye colour.
Body shape: She is a full hourglass and it is all about shape. At her age as well about loose fit. This dress follows her body curves down to a T. Her arms are beautifully covered, which gives her sharp silouhette.
Overall look: 5***** Her look is kept sharp with her hairstyle and accessories, but also current with her red lipstick. She is giving some women a good run for their money!
14. Penelope Cruz in Donna Karan
Colour: The colour works well with her deep colouring.
Body shape: What happened here? She is a fantastic neat hourglass figure and therefore it should be an easy thing to dress her- but she is short in height. Her bustline is badly fitted and therefore goes almost in a straight line into her waist rather following it. These horizontal drapes are the killer for someone who is short in height. It cuts their frame even further down- and they really can’t afford to loose any length. The fitted top is for someone designed in mind who is tall because it should finish on her hips and not on her thighs as it does on Penelope. She could wear the top half as a mini dress. Therefore the full skirt looks absolutely unproportional to the upper half. It is not only shorter than the top but also the hemline is too long billows unflattering in front of her.
Overall Look: 1* It is to me the most dissapointing outfit of the night. Someone who is as beautiful and perfectly figured as Penelope shouldn’t never been seen in such a badly fitted dress. Even the colour is wrong . It would have been maybe more suitable for a winter occasion, but not with the new season ahead of us. It is ageing her in style and look. It is a crime really to let her step out like this. Especially since she is normally always one of the best dressed.
15. Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten
Colour: What a contrast in her dress- spot on for her personal colouring.
Body shape: The pattern adds volume to her bust but is small enough not to add ” dents” to the print. Also her shape is slender, so the prints ” hang” straight from her silhouette. The dress has a touch of a waist silhouette, so it doesn’t overpower her petite waist.
Overall look: 5***** It is another winner of the night. It is fresh, modern, young and current- and as well unique. She looks absolutely at ease and comfortable in it.
